Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has welcomed the announcement that British Steel is to create new jobs on Teesside.

The recruitment process has now opened for a number of new manufacturing jobs at British Steel’s Lackenby site.

People across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool are being encouraged to apply.

Production at British Steel’s Skinningrove site resumed last month, with around 300 furloughed staff returning to work, following a temporary pause due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The site at Lackenby was not affected by this and the company’s facility in Darlington also remained open.

Mayor Houchen said he has received assurances that those British Steel employees who have returned to work will have the same high levels of protection that the firm is providing to workers across all its operations, including the provision of face masks, improved cleaning standards, and appropriate social distancing.

Mayor Houchen said: “Ever since a deal was agreed to secure the long term future of British Steel, I have always been confident of the firm’s commitment to our region, and the recruitment process opening for these new, good quality, Teesside jobs is the perfect example of that.

“The steeliness in the workers on Teesside has impressed the bosses at British Steel just as much as me, and I urge anyone looking for work to apply for one of these new roles – we want local jobs to be filled by local people.

British Steel will play an important role in supporting our economic recovery by protecting thousands of jobs and supplying products to those that need them.

Our steelworkers going back to work in an appropriate and safe way is a sign that we will succeed as a region and come back bigger, better and stronger than ever before.

– Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor

“We remain in difficult circumstances and we have to do everything we can to protect our NHS and save lives, but it is important to get our economy moving again when it is safe to do so, and I am pleased that one again here in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool we are leading the way.”